Footrall game



Aug. 22, 1.933. 1 H. BARRINGER l 19238607,

FOOTBALL GAME Filed Julyl l1, 1931 ZUNE 3 ZNE2 l,

ZGNE 1- i NN ,BY

l Figure 1.

Patented Aug. 22, 1933 i unirse STATES inifr ENT OFFICE:

FOOTBALL GAME Leonidas H. Bai-ringer, Charleston, W. Va. Application July 11, 1931. Serial No. 550,190

` 6 claims. (o1. 27s-e4) My invention relates to improvements in games. It is particularly directed to the game of ioot-ball as played with cards and a board, and it consists in the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed. i

An object of my invention is to provide a board having a foot-ball field marked thereon and men which may be so disposed in Zones as to closely simulate the plays and scores made in the actual game. g

A further object is to provide a device of the type described in which cards indicate plays which are carried out on the board and in which disks are arranged representing the play ers cn the team, these disks being movable to any zone which the opponent elects to defend, leaving other Zones undei'ended and therefore permittingV the oiiense to score certain advances as indicated by the cards turned up.

A further object is to provide a game board having means whereby the disks indicating the players may be ,moved simultaneously in along'itudinal direction over the field, and may also be moved laterally to any preselected zones.- A

A further Objectis to provideia series oi cards with notations indicating plays and distances gained, Which plays and distances are registered by moving the disks which represent the players on the board in accordance with the designations on the card. v

Other objects and advantages Will appear in the following specification andthe novel icatures of the invention Will be particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accornpany-v ing drawing forming part of thisapplication, in which: v f

Figure 1 is a plan View, of the game-board showing the zone and the disks vvvvhich represent the players.

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2 2 oi Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-'3 of Fig. 2, and, i

Figures 4 'and 5' are face views of representative cards used in connection Withthe board.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a VVplaying board 6. ThisY maybe of any suitable material, butis preferably made of Wood and is of elongated rectangular shape as shown in Fig. 1. It has marked thereon lines to represent the conventional foot-ball iield, these lines being shown at '7. In addition there are lines 8 which divide the field intolongitudinal zones, these zones being numbered'in the present instance from l'to 6, inclusive.

On each side of the field thus marked are slots 9 running longitudinally,`V which are arranged to receive tongues 10a of blocks 10, see Fig. Carried by the blocks 10 is a rodV or shaft 11 upon which are slidably mounted disks or rings 12, there being eleven of ythese disks or rings to represent the eleven `players on a regular foot-ball team. On one side of the field exteriorly of the slot r9 is aparallel slot 13, having a slide 14.- bearing a distance marker l5, the length of this marker representing a distance of ten'yards.

A pack oi cards is used, of which those shown in Figs. 4 and are examples. Each' card of the pack has a Zone markingj Thus the card in Fig. 4 has a designation Zone 2, and that in Fig. 5,` Zone 3. There are preferably six cards to each Zone, and then in addition I make use oi cards bearing the legend Zone 0, which zone, however, is not shown on the board. It will` be noted that` the cardsbear indications designating plays, and also'nuinerals desigf nating distance. The lettersV K.O.'meankick off, Pt. punt, P pass, RAR, run after catching pass,vL.P. line'play. `The card also bears a number'.` Thus in Fig. 4 the number of the card is 3, While in Fig. 5, the number of the card is 6.

The game is played as follows: The opponents each have. onevk ofthe decks of cards which areidentical. The term turn as used hereinafter,]shall mean ,the thirdcard which' shall be .turned face up, disclosing the play, rafter which the three cards areplaced under the deck. In playing the game ,thev cards are shuffled` by the players, exchanged, a turn made by each, and `theoriedravving the highest card, as indicated by the numerals at the center of the card,` receives lthe kick-off. V' rvLet us assume Ythat' N (north) receives the kick-off. S (south) in 'making Ithe kick-oli makes va turn. Letus assume that S turns Soi the card shown in Figure 4, indicatingzone 2 190 as the destination of the ball andy fifty-three yards under KD. as the distance. N then makes a `turn to show 'What distance he carries the ball back after the catch. Let us assumer that'he'turns the card indicated inr Figure 5. 105

N, without seeing the card, and before the l next turn, elects a line play. South elects to consequently the play is blocked and therefore N makes no gain. It is now second down and ten yards to go, and N again elects a line play, the ball zene now being zone 6, as indicated by the last turn. The disks indicating the players are now shifted to bring ve disks into zone 6 and S elects to defend, in addition, Zones 2 and 4, three disks being placed in each of zones 2 and 4.

N now makesV another turn. Assuming that on the next turn the play goes into Zone 5 and that the line play indicated is two yards. This zene 5 being undefended, N gains his two yards, and it is now thirddown and eight to go, and the ball is on zone 5 on Ns forty yard line. N now elects to kick, and makes another turn. This, by the turn, is a Pt; of forty yards in zone 5. Gn a Pt. there is no defense but a return is had by the opponent now taking the turn. S let us assume, turns a card indicating zone 4 and the legend Pt. under the heading Return indicates four yards. The ball is now on Ss fifteen yard line in Zone 4 in Ss possession, rst down.

S now elects to make a line play. The ball zone is 4 by the last turn so leaves five disks in zone 4, and by placing three disks each in Zones 2 and 3 makes them the other elected zones. S now makes his turn,'and turns up a card indicating zone 3. This Zone, being defended, nulliies the play, so that S makes no gain, S now' elects a line play and a card bearing the legend zone 0 turns up. There is no defense for this zone. This zone is not shown on the drawing, but it is included in the deck to develop the actual percentage taken from the y composite of eight collegiate games touching all sections of the country. Under the legend L. P., this card indicates a gain of thirty-two yards, out of bounds at the left.' The play having started from 'Ss fifteen yard line, in zone 3 and carried forward thirtyetwo yards out of bounds on the left lWould now rest in Zone 2 (since the rules require the carrying of the ball fifteen yards from the sideline) and on Ss forty-seven yard line.

On a pass one may defend four zones. S now elects to pass. N leaving ve disks' in ball zone 2 elects to defend in addition zones 3, 4 and 5 and so indicates by placing two disks in each of these Zones. S for a second time turns zone 0 and the pass indicates twenty-six yards. There being no defense against the zone 0, the ball is carried forwardtwenty-six yards in zone 2, that being the last zone of play.

S is now entitled to another turn to indicate how much the ball is carried forward after the catch. Y The card turned indicates that the ball is carried to zone 4, the legend R.A.P. run after pass, indicating a seven yard gain. The seven yard gain added to the twenty-six yards of the pass, the play having been executed from down.

Ss forty-seven yard line would carry the ball now to zone 4, Ns twenty yard line, the ball being in Ss possession on a iirst down and S elects to pass. North, leaving ve men in the ball zone, elects to defend, in addition zones 4, 5 and 6. S makes a turn and the card indicating zone 2, thus falling in an undefended zone, makes for him, under the legend P, a gain of twelve yards. S having completed the pass, is entitled to the run after pass and the third card turned, under the legend RAP. indicates a ten yard gain, which carries him into the end zone and a touch down.

S now must select one of three plays to score the eXtra point after touch down. S elects to use a line play to score the point after touch Under collegiate rules the ball is placed on the three yard line. S turns Zone 4 and under the legend P there is a sin yard gain and therefore S scores his extra point.

The line marker 15 is used to measure the yardage gained or lost and the rod il of course is moved to the point yIhere the ball is supposed to be on each play.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a beard in which the disks used for designating the players may be moved to the point at which the ball is supposed to be in play and may be distributed to the sones which are elected to be defended and that the success or failure in defending these zones Ydepends upon the particular card which is turned by the opponent.

The principal difficulty with Vcard games intending to simulate foot-ball plays is, that heretofore the cards have arbitrarily indicated plays or the yardages, but it will be apparent that while the cards in the present instance have legends designating plays and-distances gained, itrwill depend largely upon where the defending player places his men as to whether the plays are blocked. Therefore, the present game differs from the ordinary card game, inthat there is another element which really brings in the question of skill and not merely luck. It will be observed that the turn is on the third card which is exposed. If a player should remember that five cards have already been exposed for zone 6, he will electto Ydefend some other zone because he knows that the chances are thatV a card representing some other zone will come up With the turn rather than the last card of zone 6.

In addition to the few rules disclosed thus far showing typical plays ofthe game, I would propose to` providefurther rules to make the gameuinteresting, but which would not affect the relation of the cards to the'board.v Thus in case a card is vturned which indicates the ball zoner that is being defended and the yardage indicated by the play is zero, it shall be construed asa fumble. Each player shall then make a turn and the one turning the highest card shall havel recovered thev fumble. It will be apparent that such rules as this will increase the interest in the game,` but will in no'wise affect the relation of the cards and the board,

While in thelexamples given I have indicated that the players may defend three rnenes, this is merely a matter of choice, since there may be more or less ofthe zones than the number shown in the present instance, and any number of zones may be defended without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: y 1. A game comprising a game lboard provided with a diagram thereon to represent a football eld having transverse lines indicating distances gained or lost and longitudinal lines dividing the eld into parallel longitudinal zones, supports slidably mounted on the board to move longitudinally, a shaft carried by said supports and extending transversely across the field, disks representing players slidably mounted on the shaft and movable into any zone, and a deck of cards, said deck consisting of a plurality of groups, each group having an individual zone number thereon, the cards of each group being numbered progressively and all the cards bearing legends indicating plays to be made and distances gained or lost on said plays.

2. A game comprising a game board provided with a diagram thereon to represent a :football iield having transverse lines indicating distances gained or lost, and longitudinal lines dividing the eld into parallel longitudinal zones, a transverse shaft, means for supporting theshaft above the board to move longitudinally thereof, objects carried by the shaft to represent individual players, saidrobjects being movable along the shaft into anyof said zones, and a deck of cards, said deck consisting of a plurality of groups, each group having an indivdual' zone number thereon, the cards of each group being numbered progressively, and all the cards bearing legends indicating plays to be made, and distances gained or lost on said plays.

3. A game comprising a game board provided with a diagram thereon to represent a football-eld having transverse lines indicating distances gained or lost, and longitudinal lines dividing the eld into parallel longitudinal zones, a transversely extending member supported above the field, and movable longitudinally of said eld, objects carried by said transverse member for representing individual players, said objects being movable transversely of the field into any zone,l and a deck of cards, said verse member supported on the board above the eld, and having thereon objects to represent individual players movable into any of the zones, and a deck of cards consisting of a plurality of groups, each group having an individual zone number thereon to indicate a particular zone in which a play is to be made.

5. In a foot-ball game, a board provided with a diagram thereon to represent a foot-ball eld having transverse lines indicating distances gained or lost,

and longitudinal lines di-` viding the eld into parallel longitudinal zones,l

supports slidably mounted on the board to move longitudinally, a shaft carried by said supports and extending transversely across the field, and

disks representing players slidably mounted ogn the shaft and movable into any Zone.

6. A game comprising a game board provided with a diagram thereon to represent a football eld having transverse lines indicating distances gained or lost, longitudinal lines dividing the' eld into parallel longitudinal zones of play, a support movable longitudinally of the board, markersv slidably disposed on the support and movable into selected Zones of defense, and a deck of cards, each individual card having a number indicating the particular zone in which the play is t'o be made.

LEONIDAS H. BARRINGER. 

